The shooting happened at Party City on County Line Road about 10:45 p.m. Friday, police said.

Officers said they found the manager, 68-year-old Robert "Bobby" Adams, lying in the rear door of the business.

Chief Jimmy Houston said surveillance cameras captured video of the shooting. Investigators believe Adams was ambushed by the shooter, who had been waiting in the parking lot for him to come out.

"You never know what a person's going to do when there are gunshots. Some people run, some people scream, some people stand there and jump up and down. We're taking a look at all of those," Houston said.

Adams tried to close the back door on the gunman, but was shot at least once in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

"We need the public's help. We need your help immediately to take this person off the street," Houston said. "This guy is a cold-blooded murderer that we want to put in jail as soon as we can possibly do it."

Houston said investigators believe the shooter was driving a late-model white or silver Chevrolet Trailblazer-type vehicle, and got away with more than $2,000.

Store employees said Adams had worked at the store since it opened in 1994 and planned to retire soon. Adams and his wife planned to move to Kentucky to be near their daughter, Annmarie McCarty.

"This should have never happened to him," McCarty said. "I miss him already, and it's been two or three days. I really would like him to come home."

McCarty said she still thinks the back door is going to open and her father will walk in.

"He always brought something for me or my son. But it doesn't. The back door doesn't open," McCarty said. "I just walked in his closet to get something out, and his scent and his smell and his stuff being there -- it was a little overwhelming."

McCarty said her father loved working at Party City. She said he loved that people came in to visit with him.

Visitation is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Natchez Trace Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the cemetery.

Anyone with information about the robbery and slaying is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS.